The present invention relates to a centrifuge partition chromatography device comprising at least one flat ring adapted to be driven in rotation about its substantially vertically disposed axis and comprising cells connected by ducts.
Centrifuge partition chromatography is a method of separation of the compositions of a mixture between a mobile phase and a stationary phase for each of which the compositions have a different affinity.
The invention concerns more particularly a method of liquid-liquid separation of two non-miscible phases in contact with each other. One, called stationary phase, is maintained immobile inside the cells thanks to the centrifugal force to which it is subjected while the other, called mobile phase, percolates the stationary phase.
The efficiency of such a device, in order to obtain a good separation, depends on the flow of the mobile phase through the stationary phase. The more the jet entering in the cell is atomized, the better the efficiency of the device will be.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,428 discloses a counter-current chromatography device using stacked flat rings driven in rotation. These rings comprise a plurality of cells connected together in series by ducts engraved on said rings.
The orientation of the ducts of this device is such that the jet of liquid penetrates in each cell in a direction substantially tangential with respect to the rotation of the ring. This orientation causes flows of the mobile phase through the stationary phase which do not promote a good separation of the different elements. In effect, according to the visualizations made with the aid of an asynchronous camera and an ad hoc stroboscopic system, the jet tends to be applied relatively rapidly on the walls of the cells, which is detrimental to the performances of the system.
Based on this system of visualization, the present invention proposes a centrifuge partition chromatography device for separating a liquid into at least two phases, adapted to promote the dispersion of the mobile phase through the stationary phase and thus presenting a better efficiency.
To that end, according to the invention, the centrifuge partition chromatography device for separating a liquid into at least two phases, comprising at least one flat ring adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis, disposed substantially vertically, said ring comprising a plurality of cells whose dimension in a first direction is greater than the dimension in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first, disposed side by side, distributed along the periphery of said ring and connected to each other in series by inlet and outlet ducts opening out at the respective opposite ends of said cells so as to allow the circulation of the liquid, is characterized in that said ducts are arranged so that the liquid supply jet penetrates in the cells in a direction including at least one radial component with respect to the axis of rotation of the ring.
The ducts are advantageously disposed so that the supply jet penetrates into the cells in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the ring.
According to a preferred form of embodiment, the direction of the largest dimension of each cell is radial.
According to another embodiment, the direction of the largest dimension of each cell is inclined with respect to the radial direction, to allow a better atomization of the jet deviated from this radial direction.
Each cell preferably presents, seen from above, a substantially quadrangular shape.
The inclination of the direction of the largest dimension is advantageously included between 10 and 50 degrees, preferably between 20 and 40 degrees, and preferentially of the order of 30 degrees.
According to a preferred form of embodiment, the dimension of the cells in the radial direction is greater than the dimension in the tangential direction.
According to another form of embodiment, the dimension of the cells in the tangential direction is greater than the dimension in the radial direction.
The cells as well as the ducts are preferably through ones.
The invention also relates to a centrifuge partition chromatography device for separating a liquid into at least two phases, comprising at least one flat ring adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis, disposed substantially vertically, said ring comprising a plurality of cells whose dimension in a first direction is greater than the dimension in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first, disposed side by side, distributed over the periphery of said ring and connected to each other in series by inlet and outlet ducts disposed at opposite ends of said cells so as to allow the circulation of the liquid, and characterized in that the dimension of the cells in the tangential direction is greater than the dimension in the radial direction.
All the cells of the same ring are advantageously identical.